Interfolding machine



n 15158K vD. WyHUDsoN INTERFOLDI NG MACHINE Filed July lO, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVLNTOR.

A TT ORNEYS tented DAVID WILLIAM HUDSON, OF GREEN BY, WISCONSIN.

j INTEnFoLDrNe CHINE.

application mea my 1o, 1922. serial no. Manoa.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l DAvn) WILLIAM HUD- soN a citizen' of the nited States, residing at reen Bay, county of Brown, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements lin Interfolding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in interfolding machines oi.4 the type disclosed in -my co-pending application, Number 416,201, filed October 11, 1920.

As in the applicationabove referredto,it is the broad object of this invention to provide eective means for handling duplex series of overlappedv sheets, whereby the ends of contiguous sheets of each series are alternately interfolded in a crease of an adjacent sheet in the other series.

It is likewise an object of this invention to provide, in combination with means for supplying a duplex series of overlapped sheets, opposed sets of creasing jaws, and means for guiding the duplex series alternately from side to side for the engagement between said jaws of successive portions of said series of sheets.

More specifically it is a particular object of this invention to provide improved guiding means adapted to cooperate to an exi tent hitherto impossible with the tucking blades to deliver overlapped sheetsl to the creasing jaws. The guiding mechanism heretofore used for this purpose has been unwieldy and otherwise unsatisfactory, due to its bulk and the excessive number of parts required. ln the present invention this mechanismhas been greatly simplified and reduced in. bulk, whereby it has beenrendered possible to provide adequate guide ance and support for the overlapped sheets in very'close proximity to the creasing jaws without interfering in any degree with the operation of the tucking blades.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation in partial section illustrating mechanism embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken 2--2 of Fig. 1. l

Figure 3 is a. detail view in plan of the on line improved guiding mechanism which is shown for the first time in this application.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same.

Like parts are identified by t-he same reference characters throughout the several views. f

The incoming strips of material are shown atA. They vare passed, respectively, about the guide rollers 5 and 6, whereb they are brought into contact with the die .rolls 7 and 8. It will be noted that each of the die rolls is provided at diametrically opposite points upon its periphery with the longitudinally disposed grooves 9. rllhe rollers 10 and 11 are each provided with a cutting blade 12, and their motion is so synchronized with respect to the rotation of the die rolls 7 and 8 that the cutting blades 12 will register successivelyl with each of the grooves 9 ofthe die rolls. As is clearly illustrated in the drawings, the die rolls 7 and 8 are further synchronized with each other so that the strips of paper carried by them will be alternately acted upon by the blades 12 of rollers l0 and 11. p

The rollers 13 and V14 are peripherally groovedf to receive the tapes 15 and 16 which are passed, respectively, about the peripherally grooved rollers 17 and 17 disposed intermediate of the die rolls 7 and 8 upon a common axis shaft. The lower sides of tapes 15 and 16 contact with the upper surfaces of the die rolls and are adapted to maintain the material fed over such rolls in close contact therewith. The alternately perforated or cut sheets are thereby directed inwardly and, by the continued rotation of the die rolls, are brought together at the center. of the machine.

llt will be understood from that the mechanism above adapted to cut sheets of paper alternately from each of the in-fed strips A When said sheets are brought together at the center of the machine they are symmetrie cally overlapped, the abutting margins of any two contlguous sheets in either series being substantially centered intermediate of the ends of the adjacent sheet 'of the other serlee.

described is the foregoingy lll) The sheets have a tendency to cling to the rollers over which they pass, and particularly to the die rolls 7 and 8. Accordingly said rolls are preferably grooved peripherally and are provided with tapes 18 which run in the peripheral grooves and are passed, respectivel about similarly grooved rolls 19 and 20. hese last mentioned rolls are provided with grooves 21-in addition to those grooves which accommodate the tapes 18. The function of grooves 21 will hereinafter be specified.

Atfeither side of the machine. roject the pins 30 and 31 which are su tantially coaxial, and have their common axis substantially midway. between the axes of rolls 19 and 20. Upon pins 30 and 31 are pivotally mounted the link members 32 and 33, respectivel each of which is preferablyv constructe in the manner illustrated 1n Fig. 4 with a sleeve portion 34provided .with an opening 35 adapted to receive pins 30 and 31. At the lower extremity of each of the link members there 1s a stud 36 or other suitable means for pivotally seour` inthe operatmg rods 37 and 38 thereto.

ach of the link members 32 and 33 iS provided with a pair of spaced and parallel, inwardly extending arms 39 and 40. The guide plates 41 and 42 are secured to the arms '39 and 40 carried by each link member and serve to connect to ether said link members to form a rigi assembly which is pivotally operable upon pins 30 and 31. The ngers 43 which project upwardly from guide plate 41 are received in the .grooves 21 of roll 20. In like manner the creasing fingers 43 of guide plate- 42 are received into the grooves of roll 19. It will be obvious that when the sheets are brought together in a mutually overlapped relation between tapes17 and 18 at the center of the machine they are fed downwardly and brought into close-contact betweeen rolls 19 and 20. Thereupon the fingers 43 carried by guide plates 41 and 42 strip the material from rolls 19 and 20 and provide guidance and ample support for each sheet of material during the pendular oscillation of the guide by the rods 37 and 38 which are connected to the pivotally mounted ylink members 32 and 33. Irrespective of the positionl of said link members theree' ends of ingers 43 will remain in the grooves 21 of rolls 19 and 20, and will, thereby, be adapted to pluck from said rolls the sheets of material fed therethrough. The guide made up of plates 41 and 42 smoothly directs between said` plates the downwardly fed and mutually overlapped dual series of sheets.

Itis particularly to be noted that by doing away with the set of oscillatory rollers and tapes shown in my co-pendingv application and found in such devices of this nature as have previously been constructed, I have succeeded in greatly reducing the thickness of the lower end of the swinging guide, thereby making it possible for the swinging guide to operate in much closer proximity tothe path of the tucking blades than has hitherto been practicable. In fact the tucking blades may be so constructed that they will be shorter than the space between the arms 39 and 40 which project inwardly from either side of the machine to support the guide plates 41 and 42. Thus the width or thickness of the oscillatory guiding device adjacent the path of the tucking blades is no greater than the width of the guiding plates themselves, as shown in the center of Fig. 3. The size of the oscillatory guiding device is so materialy reduced that it is possible to support the duplex series ofsheets fed therethrough at a point less than one-fourth of the length of a sheet from the creasing jaws. (See Fig. 1.)

Opposed sets of clamping jaws are provided ior the purpose of creasing each sheet of paper, the contiguous ends of two adjacent sheets bein interfolded therewith. One of the jaws o each sheet is preferably made relatively stationary. Accordingly the jaws 50 and 51 are supported in a re atively fixed position from the ends of the machine. Each of said jaws is provided with a clamping face 52 disposed obliquely'to the perpendicular as shown.

Downwardly depending arms 53 carried by each of the relatively iixed jaws 50 and 51 are providedwith trunnions or bearings adapted to support the shafts 54 and 55 upon which levers 56 and 57 are, respectively, mounted. The movable jaws 58 and 59 are carried by levers 56 and 57, and are arranged for cooperation, respectively, with fixed jaws 50 and 51.

Any suitable members may be utilized to actuate levers 56 and 57 tobring the movable jaw members 58 and 59 into operative clamping relation to the fixed jaw faces 52 with which each movable jaw member is associated. As one means of operating these levers, I have illustrated cams 60 and 6l which act upon `rollers 62 carried at the end of each of the levers 56 and 57. The cam 60 is arranged for clock-wise rotation and the cam 61 for counter-clockwise rotation upon sliaft. 63 and 64, respectively. It will be noted that in each instance the cam face isso constructed that the roller mounts upon the nose of the cam in two successive steps, whereby each movable clamping jaw will be caused to move initially only a portion of the total normal distance between it and the fixed jaw.

The levers 67 and 68 which carry, respectively, tucking blade 69 and tucking A UY arrasar blade are keyed to shafts 71 and 72 upon the axes of which said levers are, respectively, fulcrumed. Ad'acent the outer end of each of said sha ts is keyed an arm 73.` Uutsideof each of said arms of said outerlevers relative to the levers 73 is possible.

For the purpose of edecting the adjustment lof levers 74 with respect to the arms 73 which are fixed to shafts 71 and 72, the set screws 76 threaded through ears 77 are provided. The bolts 75 having first been loosened, it is possible to adjust the levers 74 relative to arms 73 by loosening one of the set screws 76 and tightening the otherl in an easily understood manner. A link 78 connects levers 74, whereby they are caused to move in unison. Obvlously when said levers are moved the arms 73 secured to shafts 71 and 72 will be moved therewith in any desired position of adjustment and thev shafts'71 an accordingly.

Motion may be transmitted to the, levers 74 in any desired manner. For example, one of said levers may be projected upwardly beyond the adjusting bolt 75 as shown in the left hand of Fig. 1, and may be provided adjacent its end with a projecting pin or stud 79 to which the connectin rod A may be secured. The connectin r in turn is oscillated from a crank pln 81 which may be mounted upon shaft 64, as shaft 64 rotates the connecting rod A' will transmit oscillatory movement through levers 74 and arms 73 to shafts 71 and 72, thereby e'ecting theoscillation of the arms 67 and 68 which support the tucking blades 69 and 70, respectively. The extent of the movement of either tucker blade in any given direction may be governed independently by adjusting the set screws 76 in the manner aforesaid.

Beneath the opposed sets of clamping members, whereby the sheets are successively creased, is a magazine 85 opened at its top and arranged to receive the i'nterfolded sheets. For the purpose of packing the sheets securely and positively in the magazine I provide suitable packing members 86 which are normally positioned immediately above the opposed sets. of clamping jaws. The packing members 86 are carried b levers 87 which may conveniently be f crumed upon shafts 54 and 55, respectively. Said levers may be actuated through links 88 by levers 89 which are fulcrumed at 90 and provided at their ends with rollers 91 arranged to travel in heart shaped cam 72 will be caused to oscillate tdt grooves 92 in disks 93. Said disks may conveniently be mounted upon the shafts 63 and 64.

An eccentric or a crank pin 95 upon shaft 64 actuates link 96 which is connected to an arm 97 secured to the rock shaft 98. Arms 99 at the ends of said shaft communicate the oscillation thereof through links 37 and 38 to the oscillato guiding device hitherto described which Iliiads the duplex series of sheets alternately to the opposed clamping jaws to be creased therein.

llt. will be understood that the shafts 63 and 64 are the main power shafts of the machine and may be suitably drivenin synchronization by any desired mechanism. lit is likewise necessary that the die rolls 7 and 8, and the associated mechanism be synchronized by suitable gearing withthe main drive shafts 63 and 64, since it is essential to the operation of this machine that the tucking blades 69 and 70 which encounter the duplex series of overlapped sheets substantially at the juncture of two contiguous sheets of that series which is closest to the contacting tucking blade.

The strips of (paper are fed in as shown at A about the i ling rollers 5 and 6 which bring the material into contact with the die rolls 7 and 8. The die rolls are so synchronized with respect to each other andwith respect to the cutting blades 12 carried by rollers 10 and 11 that said blades become operative alternately to cut the paper upon the die rolls into len hs equivalent to half the circumference o said rolls. Since the blades 12 upon rollers 1() and 11 operate alternately and at equally spaced intervals the vmaterial fed down between the die rolls 7 and 8 -upon tapes 17 and 18 will comprise a duplex series of symmetrically overlapped sheets. rlhe tapes 17 and 18 stri each sheet from its respective die roll an bring the opposing sheets together between rollers 19 and 20.

vThe oscillatory guiding device disclosed herein is designed to operate in a minimum of space, thereby to enable its length to be increased to such an extent that adequate support will be given the duplex series oitl overlapped sheets down to a point very close to the jaws of the creasing devices. The lin' ers 43 integral with the guide plates 41 and 42 are disposed in the peripheral grooves 21 of rollers 19 and 20. They are thereby a'orded the opportunity of stripping from said rollers and from the tapes engaged about said rollers, the duplex series of sheets which is downwardly fed therebetween. Regardless of the degree of oscillation of the guiding device (within the limit of its movement) it is adapted to receive the sheets 'and to guide them in the direction of one or the other of the sets ot clamping jaws. The sheets pass alternately roo i lll@ and easily down between theguide plates and consequently the mass of moving tapes and pulleys with their driving connections that have hitherto been used upon an oscillatory frame for this purpose is unnecessary.y

As `the guidin device swings to the left (as viewed in ig. l) the rotating shaft will bring the crank pin 81 towards the position in which it appears in said ligure, and thereby the lever 67 will be caused, through the medium of connections previously described, to move the tuckmg blade 69 to the left. The material encountered by the.blade is forced between the stationj aw 52. and the movable jaw member 59, andis there held pending the action of the jaw as will be noted from the drawing. rl`he cam 60 is so disposed that the wheel 62 is about to mount the first step of the nose of the cam. As soon as the lever 57 receives its initial movement, due to the first shoulder of the cam striking the wheel 62, themovable jaw 59 will be actua-ted for a distance sufficient to enable it to clamp the folded material upon either side of the tucking blade which still remains in the fold. At this point, however, the continued rotation of shaft 64 and the consequent movement of crank pin 81 effects the withdrawal of tucking blade 69 from between jaws 52 ,and 59,-the`la'tter of which is simultaneously actuated to its closed position by the second shoulder of the nose of cam 60 which has, in the meantime, reached the roller 62. The arrangement is such that as the tucking blade is withdrawn, the movable jaw simultaneously snaps to its clamping position with respect to the fixed jaw face 52, and thereby engages and creases the paper folded between said jaws. The location'of the clamping jaws upon the line of travel of the duplex series of sheets is such that each tucking blade will encounter and fold between said jaws a single sheetv of material, the severed and abutting ends of adjacent sheets being included 1n the fold.

It is particularly to be noted that the material which is clamped between the left hand creasing jaws always comprises a sheet received from die roll 7 to be folded intermediate its ends, within the fold of which is embraced the severed ends of contiguous sheets received from die ro-ll 8. On the other hand, the clamping jaws at the right invariably act upon and crease a sheet of paper received from die roll 8, interfolding therein the severed ends of contiguous sheets delivered from die roll 7. It will be obvious, therefore, that as the material is fed between the guide plates which are inclined sharply to one side or the other, the single sheet to'be creased is always uppermost, and the severed ends of the sheets to be interfolded lie beneath. As a consequence of this fact, the severed ends of the sheet-s to be interfolded tend to fall away from the line of travel of the sheets and would fall if it were not for the support afforded by the upper surface of the tucking blades.

The levers carrying thetucking blades are pivoted upon axes. well below the clamping jaws,-to the end that the arcs described by the blades may be such that the blades can support the free ends of the sheets to be interfolded. It is obvious that in the mechanism illustrated herein the tucking blades move in an arc to which the ultimate position of the duplex series of sheets is aproximately tangential. As the sheets are fed downwardly, the tucking blades are moving downwardly with them toward the position in which tucking blade 69 appears in Fig. 1. If the pivots of levers 67 were disposed above the clamping jaws, it must be clear that the ultimate position of the tucking blades with respect to the line of travel of the duplex series of sheet would be such that the sheets would lie upon a radius of the arc described by the blades instead of on the tangent thereof. lVith such a construction the tucking blades would necessarily have to move against the line of travel of the paper rather than with it.

It will be remembered that the duplex series of sheets is now grasped between stationary jaw 52 and movable jaw 59. Tucking blade 69 has already commenced its rctractive movement. The oscillatory guiding device now begins to swing from its extreme left position actuated by the mechanism previously described. The sheets of material are fed from between the guide plates 41 and 42 with sufficient rapidity so that the material which is clamped in the left hand clamping device will not be torn by the movement away therefrom of the guiding device.

As the guiding device commences its movement, the crank pin 81 actuateslever 68 to bring the tucking blade 70 into play. Just before. the guiding device reaches its ultimate position at the right of Fig. l Ithe tucking blade 70 will become effective to stretch taut the material which has been hanging between the left hand clamping jaws and the guiding device. In so doing the tucking blade moves upon a path which closely parallels the ultimate line of travel of the duplex;V series of sheets delivered from the guiding device. In other words, at the moment of contact the tucking blade 70 is moving downwardly along said sheets and -is adapted to support the end of a sheet delivered from die roll 7 which vsheet might otherwise hang free and fail to be included in the fold.

The roller 62 at the end of lever 56 has iam eet meanwhile been traversingthe low part of cam 61, thereby allowing spring 100 to maintain the movable jaw 58 in its open position. The right hand clamping device is,4

therefore, in readiness to receive the tuckin blade 70, and the material which is folde about said blade.

The movements of clamping jaw 58 correspond to thosepreviously described as having occurred in clamping jaw 59. 'llhe clamping jaw 58' makes an initial movement towards its closed position, thereby grasping the paper upon each side of the tucking blade 70. lThereafter the tucking blade is withdrawn and clamping jaw 58 snaps to its closed position, thus creasing the sheet of paper delivered from die roll 8 and interfolding in the' crease thetwo severed ends of1 1tpe* contiguous sheets'received fromdie I'O i d' 'Y Substantiallysiinnltaneonsly withthe clamping of the duplex series of sheets inl the right hand creasing device, the clamping action of the' left hand creasing device has been relieved andthe packing blade 86,` urged downwardly by mechanism previously described, has swept` the interfolded sheets from their position within the clamping jaws and has packed them within the magazine.

ylBy the actuation of the mechanism above described, therefore, strips of paper fed together toward the center of the machine are cut into symmetrically overlapped sheets,

and in that condition are guided between the oscillatory plates 41' and l2 and fed therefrom alternately between two opposed sets of clamping jaws. ln each clamping jaw a sheet of paper is creased approximately upon its median line, and the abutting ends of two sheets cut from another separate strip of paper are interfoldedwithin the crease. Each clamping jaw retains its holdupon the creased sheet and the interfolded ends of adjacent sheets for a length of time sumcient to permit the guideand the co-operating tucking bladeto bringthe next whole sheet of material to be fed from the guide into position within f the opposing` l'set of claiifping jaws. rliiereupon the first clamping jaws release their hold and allowthe creased paper to 'fall and to be packed into place witliina suitable receiving magazine.

lt must be apparent that'the particular construction of the tucking blades and their supporting levers is important for the reasonsspecified in detail above. The arrangement must be such that the tuckingblade, Whether by the curve of its operating edge, or by the position of the axis above which it moves, is" so arranged as to provide support for the free end of onesheet of paper which might otherwise fail to be included in the embrace of the clamping jaws. lf

4this free end is not so included in either clamping jaw, the next tucking blade to act upon the material will, obviously, be unable to stretch it taut inasmuch as its end will be free to move. l l claim: l 1. rllhe combination with sets of opposed clamping jaws and means for supplying` materialto be creased therein, of an oscillatory guiding device provided with opposed confining surfaces restrainedv against unidirectional `movement along the path of travel of said material, and arranged to receive and guide the material between them, and means for'oscillating the discharge end of said device, whereby saidinaterial is fedalternately in the direction of said clamping jaws. 1 v

2. 'llhe .combination with setsof opposed ing. sheets of material to be creased therein, of an oscillatory iding `device provided with, opposed -gui ing surfaces, restrained lagainst movement along the path of travel of said materiahfmeans for pivotally supporting the guiding device upon an axis in substantial alinement `with the margins of said surfaces atthe receiving end of the device, and means for oscillatingthe free end of said guiding device whereby material fed therethrough is directed alternately toward said clamping jaws.

3. 'llhe combination with a set of periphv erally grooved rollers, and means for feeding material therebetween, of an oscillatory gui-ding device provided with opposed guiding surfaces, lingers comprising extensions of said guiding surfaces projecting upwardly therefrom into registry with the grooves of said rollers, means for pivotally supporting the guiding device upon an axisr in sub-- stantially the same plane as the axes of said rollers, and means for oscillating the delivery end of said guiding device.

l. ln a paper interfolding machine the combination with means for supplying a duplex series `of symmetrically overlapped sheets and opposed sets of clamping jaws arranged to act upon said sheets, of an oscillatory guiding `device comprising a pair of spaced plates supported for-pivotal move- Aclamping jaws, andwith meansyfor supply-v,

istering with the grooves of one of said rollers.

lation about an axis disposed substantiallybetween the ends of said fingers, and means for oscillating said plates. j

.7. The combination with means for supplying a duplex series of symmetrically overlapped sheets, of a set of peripherally groovedrollers between which said supply-` ing meansis arranged to feed such sheets, a pair of spaced platesprovided with fingers registering with the grooves ofthe rollers, means for supporting said plates for oscillation about an axis disposed substantially between the ends of said fingers, means for oscilla-tingv said plates, and sets of clamping v`jaws operatively disposed adjacent the ultimate position assumed by said plates.

8. An f mterfoldmg machine mcludmg a pair of longitudinally groovedl die rolls, co-

operating rolls provided with cutting blades synchronized for registry with the grooves v ofthe die rolls, peripherally grooved feeding rolls, belts passing about each die roll and one of'said feeding rolls, a pair of Voscillatory *guide plates provided with iin ers registering with the grooves of thefee ing rolls, and means for oscillating said guide plates.

9. An interfolding machine including a pair `oflongitudinally, grooved die rolls, co-

operating rolls provided with cutting blades synchronized for registry with the grooves of the dieA rolls, peripherally grooved feeding' rolls, belts passing about each die roll and one of said feeding rolls, a pair of oscillatoryk guide plates provided with fin ers registering with the grooves of the fee ing rolls, means for oscillating said guide plates, opposed .sets of clamping jaws adapted to crease material fed ybetweeen said guiding blades, and tucking blades adapted to cooperate with said guiding plates in delivering material to the clamping jaws.

10. An interfolding machine including means for supplying a duplex series of overlapped sheets of material, a set of spaced' guidingy plates pivotally mounted and arranged to recelve said material, and means Vfor delivering said material between the guiding plates substantially in line with the axis upon which said plates are pivotally movable, said plates being formed with suivcient rigidity at their marginal delivery po-rtions to spanlongitudinal y the space traversed by said material, whereby the transverse dimension of said set may be comparatively small.

for feeding sai 11. The combination with sets of opposed clamping jaws, and means for supplying material to Abe creased therein, of an oscillatory guiding device for said material comprising a pair of pivotally mounted link members provided with inwardly extending, space-d arms and guide plates supported by said arms.

l2. The combination with sets of opposed clamping jaws, and means for supplying material to be creased therein, of an oscillatory guiding device comprising a pair of pivotally mounted supporting members, spaced Guiding plates carried `by said members, and ngers projecting from said plate and terminating substantially in a common plane including the axis upon which said supporting members are pivoted.

13. The combination with sets of opposed clamping jaws and means for supplying -material to be creased therein, of an oscillatory guiding device comprising s aced members provided with opposed con ning surfaces, said members being pivotally mounted for oscillation upon an axis lying in substantially the same plane as the corresponding extremities of said surfaces and being secured against movement along the path of travel of said material.

14. A set of pivotally grooved rollers, means for feeding material therethrough, spaced guiding means supported for oscillation, and fingers carried by said guiding means and registering with the grooves of said rollers.

15. The combination with a pair of coacting peripherally grooved rollers, and means for feeding material therethrough, of a pair of spaced guiding plates supported for oseillat-ion upon a pivot lying approximately in the plane of the axes of said roller, and fingers projecting upwardly from said plates to a position of registry with the grooves of said rollers, whereby material fed between said rollers may be received between said plates.

16. The combination with sets of opposed clamping jaws and means for supplying a duplex series of overlapped sheets to be creased therein, of an oscillatory guiding device including a air of spaced plates, means ii duplex series of sheets therethrough, and tucking blades movable in paths convexly arcuate with respect to said guiding device and adapted to co-operate therewith in the delivery of said sheets to said clamping jaws.

17. The combination with means for supplying a duplex series of overlapped sheets, of a set of oscillatory guiding plates spaced apart and adapted to receive said sheets, opposed sets of clamping jaws, tuckingblades, and means for moving said tucking blades alternately across the path of sheets dis- Lawaai saidroller, .and an oscillatory sheet delivery mechanism including an oscillatory support pivoted exteriorly of the path of travel of said sheets and substantially in the plane of such travel; and spaced sheet guiding elements adapted to receive said series of sheets between them and connected with said support, said elements being arcuately oscillatory with said support to discharge sheets alternately to each of said means and being filzed against translative movement with said s eets. v

DAVID WLLIAM HUDSUN. 

